TOPANGACANYON—On September 3, the driver of a tanker truck was injured after his vehicle burst into flames while on the off-ramp of the Hollywood Freeway (101) near
TopangaCanyon.

Photo courtesy of CBS.

“A mattress was tangled in the undercarriage of the truck and trailer, causing the trailer to ignite and catch fire,” said Officer Patrick Kimball of the California Highway Patrol (
CHP). “The truck cabin was saved, but the trailer was a large loss.”

The flames from the truck quickly spread to nearby brush which began to burn quickly. At around
7 p.m., the Los Angeles Fire Department received a call about the accident and fire. Firefighters responded quickly, finding the semi on its side engulfed in flames and went into action. A pair of helicopters aided in the fight by serving in reconnaissance roles and also helped to defend a nearby office building from catching fire as well.

The blaze was put out in around forty minutes with no further injuries reported. The driver of the tanker, a 54-year-old man from
Idaho, was transported to a local hospital where he was listed in good condition with burns to his left wrist and arm.